Passenger vehicle static switching apparatus

ABSTRACT

A device for switching a passenger vehicle riding on rails between two track sections wherein only stationary track portions are involved. A double rim wheel is used in the vehicle and combines with a truck mounted guide rail engaging device to switch passenger vehicle from a first to a second track portion. Guide rails are mounted adjacent and above each supporting track member and engageable by the truck mounted guiding device to automatically urge the vehicle along a selectable track portion.

United States Patent Welsh Nov. 27, 1973 PASSENGER VEHICLE STATICSWITCHING APPARATUS Y [75 Inventor: Patrick George Welsh, Chicago,

Ill.

[73] Assignee: Pullman Incorporated, Chicago,

Ill.

22 Filed: Dec.8, 1971 211 App]. No.: 206,003

[52] US. Cl 104/130, 246/427, 104/] A [51] Int. Cl E01b 25/12 [58] Fieldof Search 104/96, 105, 134,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,650,216 3/1972 Broome[04/130 X 336,050 2/1886 Jacobs 104/1 A 3,403,634 10/ 1968 Crowder104/88 3,593,668 7/1971 Adams 104/130 Primary ExaminerRobert G. SheridanAssistant ExaminerD. W. Keen Attorney-Hilmond O. Vogel et a1.

[57] ABSTRACT A device for switching a passenger vehicle riding on railsbetween two track sections wherein only stationary track portions areinvolved. A double rim wheel is used in the vehicle and combines with atruck mounted guide rail engaging device to switch passenger vehiclefrom a first to a second track portion. Guide rails are mounted adjacentand above each supporting track member and engageable by the truckmounted guiding device to automatically urge the vehicle along aselectable track portion.

7 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of theInvention This invention pertains to railway vehicles and in particulartheir supporting track structures and apparatus for switching thevehicle between difi'erent track sections.

2. Description of the Prior Art Prior art of so-called static switchingarrangements wherein no movable switch components were involved with thetrack members have generally received little commercial acceptancebecause of their use with a single rim conventional railway wheel whichresulted in the wheel running on the flange for a portion of theswitching due to the non-continuous switch track to main track junction.The present invention provides a railway vehicle riding on supportingwheel members having double tread portions which provide constant wheeland rail contact for a wide area and also has eliminated the necessityfor thin supporting track leadin portions which could fail under heavyloads.

SUMMARY The present invention pertains to a railway vehicle switchingapparatus wherein stationary track members are utilized in combinationwith a car mounted guide means which is engageable with guide railmembers positioned adjacent the track members. In operation, the truckmounted guide means are actuated manually by a conductor or by automaticmeans to engage the trackside mounted guide railmeans to urge thevehicle from a main supporting track to a second track member to therebyperform a switching function at a point where a track divides from asingle to a double track. Double tread wheel members supporting the carpermit utilization of fixedly mounted track members and insure thatadequate and continuous support is provided for the vehicle during theswitching operation.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a railway vehicleswitching arrangement employing fixedly mounted track members and avehicle truck mounted guide means associated with trackside mountedguide rail portions which are engageable to switch the vehicle.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a railwayvehicle wherein a double tread wheel is used to support the vehicle bodyand facilitate the switching operation by providing a desirable wheel torail contact area-during the entire switching operation.

These and other objects of the invention will become appended claims andattached drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of therailway vehicle involved with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the supporting truck arrangement;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the stationary track structure involvedwith the presentinvention;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5--5 of FIG. 4 with portionsremoved; and

apparent from reference to the following description,

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 5.

' DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION FIG. 1 indicates the type of passengervehicle contemplated for use with the present design and is generallyindicated by the numeral 10 and includes a body portion 12 having sidewindows 14 and end windows 15. A centrally disposed door 16 permitspassage to and from the vehicle. The vehicle body 12 which includes thereinforcing supporting underfrarne is supported by the spaced truckmembers 18 and includes coupler or bumper units 20 positioned at the endof the vehicle. A motive power traction unit 22 is indicatedschematically in the trucks l8 and supplies drive power to the wheels24.

The wheels 24 are of a double tread or double rim construction includinginner rim 26 and an outer rim 28 spaced about a centrally disposedflange portion 30 which guides the vehicle and restn'cts lateralmovement thereof. As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 the outer rims of thewheels 26 are supported on rail members 32a, 32b. The rails aresupported on the usual cross tie members 34 which may be of theconventional wood or precast concrete construction. The tracks arecompletely surrounded on three sides and partially surrounded on afourth side by the noise suppressant housing 36 which includes generallyvertically extending sides 37 which extend above the truck area toprevent noise from escaping laterally outwardly of the trucks. Thebottom of the noise suppressant housing 36 includes a plurality ofopenings 37a which are intended to remove excess weight from thesupporting structure. It is contemplated that a noise absorbing materialwould be positioned on the interior of the housing 36 to reduce noise.The entire trackway may be supported above the ground level by a seriesof pillars such as 37b illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.

As best illustrated in FIG. 5 it is noticed that the sides 37 of thenoise suppressant housing 36 have guide rails 38 fixedly attachedthereto. These guide rails include downwardly extending depending fingerportions 39 which are engaged by the vehicle guiding devices 42 whichare mounted on the vehicle trucks 18.

These guide rail engaging devices or steering members 42 include avertically movable guide rail engaging portion 44 having a pair of railengaging roller members 46 which permit the rail engaging device and thevehicle to move smoothly along the guide rail 38. The vertically movableportion 44 is positioned in slots 48 which receive guide portions 50 ofthe vertically movable portions 44 to allow vertical movement forengagement of the rail engaging device 42 with an associated guide rail.As illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, the guide rail engaging portion 42 isvertically movable in response to operation of a hydraulic cylinder 52which is fixedly attached to the truck 18. Although a hydraulic cylinderis suggested, a pneumatic cylinder or electromechanical device couldperform the same function of raising and lowering the guide railengaging device 42. Associated with the operating cylinder 52 is a shockabsorber and spring unit 54 which is included to absorb forces producedby impacts caused by vertical variations between the top of the vehiclesupporting track and the guide rail 38.

A typical switching section for merging a double track into a singletrack is illustrated in FIG. 4 and discloses the track arrangementutilized with the double tread wheel of the vehicle which is alsoillustrated. It is noticed that all the track sections are permanentlyattached to the track bed or supporting structure and there are nomoving switch parts as generally encountered in conventional switchingunits. The switch track portion is indicated by the curved tracks whichswitch a vehicle from the straight tracks.

The straight noncontinuous first track segments 56, 56a and thecontinuous straight track 57 provide for straight nonswitched movementof the railway vehicle across the switching portion of the trackstructure. The shorter curved second track segments 58 and 60 and thecontinuous curved track portion 59 combine to switch the railway vehiclefrom the straight track portion and in effect steer the train. The trackportion 60 forms a continuation of the associated curved switching track58 to steer the train onto the switch track.

THE OPERATION The disclosure of the operation will be in reference tothe track switching section illustrated in FIG. 4 and the descriptionwill proceed describing a vehicle moving from left to right in theillustration. A typical smaller type of passenger vehicle, as designatedby the numeral 10, which is riding on the rail members 57 and 59 will bestabilized by the tread angles of the spaced wheel members which tend tocenter the vehicle between the rails. This stabilized position isillustrated in FIG. 3. As the vehicle proceeds to the right on thetracks illustrated in FIG. 4, the wheels 24 will reach a positionwherein they will be positioned between the continuous rail members 57and 59 and the short rail members 56 and 58 at which point the doublerims or double treads of the wheels will be supported by the continuousand non-continuous track sections. Once at this position of maximumsupport by the rails on the double tread wheels the train is in aposition to be switched from the straight track or to continue thereon.

In the event that it should be desirable for the railway vehicle tocontinue going straight, the guide rail engaging device 42 associatedwith the track 57 and the continuous rail member 38 and positionedadjacent thereto would be energized, causing the guide rail engagingdevice to move upward and grab onto the guide rail 38. This energizingof the guide rail engaging device occurs when the wheels are supportedon both tread sections by associated rail members. Therefore, it isnoticed that if the guide rail engaging device at the top of FIG. 4adjacent the continuous rail designated by the numeral 57 is energized,the railway vehicle will be guided by a holding force which urges thevehicle to continue going in a straight unswitched direction. It must bepointed out that the necessity for this guide rail being engaged by thedevice mounted on the truck is to stabilize the railway vehicle which isnow being supported by the continuous rail 57 and the non-continuousrail 56. Because of the tread angles on the inner tread of one wheelmatching the tread angle of the outer tread on the opposite wheel, thevertical force provided by the weight of the vehicle would tend to causea derailment. Thus, by having the guide rail engaging device 42 engagean associated guide rail, a stabilizing force is provided which willguide the passenger vehicle in a straight direction and overcome thesliding tendency caused by the wheel tread angles.

Likewise, to perform a switching function the guide rail engaging device42 at the lower portion of FIG. 4 which is adjacent the tracks 56,59would be energized when the wheels are in the fully supported positionhaving both treads supported by track portions. It is again pointed outthat the necessity for the guide rail engaging device to remainoperatively connected with the guide rail during this switching maneuveris that the vehicle is being supported on the track portion 58 and thecontinuous track 59 in a situation wherein an outer rim is supported onrail 59 and the inner rim of the opposite wheel is supported on the railportion 58 thus combining with the vertical force or vertical weight ofthe railway vehicle to provide an unstable condition which would tend tomove the vehicle to the top of the illustration and cause a derailment.

The guide rail engaging devices 42 are selectively operable and are toremain operative until the wheels are in the stable supported positionhaving both wheels supported on their outer rims by associated trackportions.

The foregoing description and drawings merely explain and illustrate theinvention and the invention is not limited thereto, except insofar asthe appended claims are so limited, as those skilled in the art who havethe disclosure before them will be able to make modifications andvariations therein without departing from the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is: l. A switching apparatus for a transportationvehicle and including:

vehicle supporting track means for providing guided movement to saidvehicle and including a main line track portion and a switch trackportion merging with the first track portion at a switching junction;

said main line track portion at the switching portion including acontinuous straight track portion and laterally spaced and associatednoncontinuous straight track portions each having overlapping segments;

said switch track portion at the switching junction also including acontinuous curved track portion and laterally spaced and associatednoncontinuous curved track portions also having overlapping segments;

vehicle guide rail means mounted adjacent said switching junction andincluding a first guide rail member adjacent the continuous straighttrack portion and including a second curved guide rail member adjacentthe continuous curved track portion at the switching junction, saidfirst member associated with continued main line movement of saidvehicle and said second member associated with switching of thetransportation vehicle;

said vehicle having wheel members with double tread portions spacedabout a radially disposed rim member and adapted to ride on said vehiclesupporting track means;

vehicle mounted steering means having guide rail engaging meanspositioned on each side of the vehicle and being vertically reciprocableto engage and disengage the associated guide rail means therebyproviding selective vehicle steering through said switching junction.

2. The invention according to claim 1, and:

said track means including a sound repressing housing attached belowsaid track means and having side portions extending generally upwardlyof the tracks to a level above said wheel members;

said guide rail means having portions attached to the side portions ofthe housing for mounting the guide rail means upwardly and outwardly ofthe track means.

3. The invention according to claim 2, and:

said sound repressing housing including a bottom section positionedbelow said track means and having spaced openings contained therein;

said sound repressing housing also having top flanged portions extendinghorizontally from the housing side portions and inwardly toward saidtrack means at a height above the vehicle wheel members.

4. The invention according to claim 1, and:

said vehicle having the wheel members arranged in pairs on a connectingaxle mounted in a vehicle supporting truck;

said steering means having portions attached to said truck and includingconnecting means being vertically movable to engage said vehicle guiderail means thereby urging the vehicle in the direction of the engagedguide rail.

5. The invention according to claim 4, and:

said double tread portions of each wheel member including an innerflange and an outer flange;

said noncontinuous straight track portion including a first straightportion adjacent the continuous curved track portions and also having asecond track portion including an adjacent portion overlapping a portionof the first straight track portion;

said noncontinuous curved track portions including a first and secondcurved portions having overlapping sections;

said overlapping portions of both the noncontinuous straight and curvedtrack portions providing a dual wheel support means engaging the doubletread portions of the vehicle wheel;

said dual wheel support means providing a transfer means for switchingwheel support from one of said double tread portions to the other ofsaid tread portrons.

6. The invention according to claim 1, and:

said guide rail means having a downwardly extending portion adapted toconnect with the vehicle mounted steering means;

said guide rail engaging means including a pair of roller memberspositioned to guidingly abut and attach to said downwardly extendingportion of the guide rail means.

7. The invention according to claim 6, and:

spring bias means and dampening means adapted to connect the guide railengaging means with the transportation vehicle, and hydraulic cylindermeans operatively coupled with the rail engaging means to provide forselective actuation of the steering means.

1. A switching apparatus for a transportation vehicle and including:vehicle supporting track means for providing guided movement to saidvehicle and including a main line track portion and a switch trackportion merging with the first track portion at a switching junction;said main line track portion at the switching portion including acontinuous straight track portion and laterally spaced and associatednoncontinuous straight track portions each having overlapping segments;said switch track portion at the switching junction also including acontinuous curved track portion and laterally spaced and associatednoncontinuous curved track portions also having overlapping segments;vehicle guide rail means mounted adjacent said switching junction andincluding a first guide rail member adjacent the continuous straighttrack portion and including a second curved guide rail member adjacentthe continuous curved track portion at the switching junction, saidfirst member associated with continued main line movement of saidvehicle and said second member associated with switching of thetransportation vehicle; said vehicle having wheel members with doubletread portions spaced about a radially disposed rim member and adaptedto ride on said vehicle supporting track means; vehicle mounted steeringmeans having guide rail engaging means positioned on each side of thevehicle and being vertically reciprocable to engage and disengage theassociated guide rail means thereby providing selective vehicle steeringthrough said switching junction.
 2. The invention according to claim 1,and: said track means including a sound repressing housing attachedbelow said track means and having side portions extending generallyupwardly of the tracks to a level above said wheel members; said guiderail means having portions attached to the side portions of the housingfor mounting the guide rail means upwardly and outwardly of the trackmeans.
 3. The invention according to claim 2, and: said sound repressinghousing including a bottom section positioned below said track means andhaving spaced openings contained therein; said sound repressing housingalso having top flanged portions extending horizontally from the housingside portions and inwardly toward said track means at a height above thevehicle wheel members.
 4. The invention according to claim 1, and: saidvehicle having the wheel members arranged in pairs on a connecting axlemounted in a vehicle supporting truck; said steering means havingportions attached to said truck and including connecting means beingvertically movable to engage said vehicle guide rail means therebyurging the vehicle in the direction of the engaged guide rail.
 5. Theinvention according to claim 4, and: said double tread portions of eachwheel member including an inner flange and an outer flange; saidnoncontinuous straight track portion including a first straight portionadjacent the continuous curved track portions and also having a secondtrack portion including an adjacent portion overlapping a portion of thefirst straight track portion; said noncontinuous curved track portionsincluding a first and second curved portions having overlappingsections; said overlapping portions of both the noncontinuous straightand curved track portions providing a dual wheel support means engagingthe double tread portions of the vehicle wheel; said dual wheel supportmeans providing a transfer means for switching wheel support from one ofsaid double tread portions to the other of said tread portions.
 6. Theinvention according to claim 1, and: said guide rail means having adownwardly extending portion adapted to connect with the vehicle mountedsteering means; said guide rail engaging means including a pair ofroller members positioned to guidingly abut and attach to saiddownwardly extending portion of the guide rail means.
 7. The inventionaccording to claim 6, and: spring bias means and dampening means adaptedto connect the guide rail engaging means with the transportationvehicle, and hydraulic cylinder means operatively coupled with the railengaging means to provide for selective actuation of the steering means.